The Visions I See
by Dark Inklings
Summary: AU- Orihime loves Ulquiorra as a friend, maybe even as a brother. Ulquiorra desires Orihime as a lover but won't admit it to anyone. When Ichigo becomes Orihime's boyfriend, Ulquiorra finds himself being torn apart by envy. Can he get her back and how?
1. Chapter 1: Hello

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, if I did, say hello to an Ulqui/Hime love fest! **

**Summary: AU - Orihime loves Ulquiorra as a friend, maybe even as a brother. Ulquiorra wants Orihime as a lover. He won't confess to his feelings. But when Orihime finds herself in what seemed to be a perfect relationship with Ichigo, Ulquiorra finds himself distant, envy tearing at his insides. What will he do to get Orihime back? **

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_~::The Visions I See::~_

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**Chapter 01: Hello**

::Orihime x Ulquiorra::

**Friday, November 5, 1999 – 12:01pm – Central Park**

The young, raven-haired boy shivered as yet another chilled breeze gusted in, making Goosebumps rise on his exposed pallid, ivory flesh. Sniffling slightly from the newborn cold, he squeezed himself into a tight little ball, rooting his knees to his chest. He knew what he had done wrong. He had made his father angry, the towering man lashing out at both the son and the pleading wife. Battered and bruised, the son wandered off to a nearby park, hiding under the barren jungle gym. His tears were dried out, worn from the years of sobbing as a baby, as he watched his mother crumble under his father's reign, as his own skin turned blotchy and purple, sore from encounters with his father. Unable to keep his head up any longer, the boy buried it between his knees as his world continued to collapse before his very eyes.

"Hwello," a small voice came. The boy didn't move. After a few moments, the orange-haired girl tried again, gathering the courage to come out from behind the slide.

"What's your name?" she continued, met with the same stilled silence he had given her before. Gingerly, she approached the strange boy, untangling her arms as she laid a single gloved hand atop his head, ruffling his hair gently. When his head lifted, his emerald eyes met the wide grin of the bubbly five-year-old standing before him.

"Hi, my name's Orihime," she introduced proudly, pointing to herself enthusiastically. "What's your name?" she tried again, bending down so that she could finally see his face.

"…"

Jabbing a finger into his forehead, she chuckled, "I can't hwear you." Cupping her ear, she tilted her head closer to the stoic child. He still refused to utter a word.

"Ulquiorra." There. He answered so she should go away. She _should've_ gone away.

"Ulqwi _ Ulqwiorra," she furrowed her brows at her inability to pronounce his name. Orihime, as determined as she was, persevered and repeated his name several times to no avail. Ulquiorra could only watch, dumbfounded as the girl continued to mispronounce his name.

"I'll just call you Ulqui-kun for short then," she announced jovially. With that, she stretched her hand out as if to help him up. "Let's go pway."

It took a few moments before Ulquiorra could quite comprehend what exactly was happening at that time but his face softened, grabbing the outstretched hand, her soft fingers intertwining with his own bony ligaments.

That was the first time Ulquiorra met Orihime.

**Thursday, July 5, 2007 – 11:30am – Inoue Residence – Orihime's Bedroom**

"Oh, ohayo, Ulqui-kun!" Orihime's chipper voice rang as she opened the door to her humble abode. At twelve, Orihime could pass for a very vertically challenged sixteen-year-old. Her features were very much feminine in every way, her glossy orange hair swaying well past her shoulders.

Sighing, the thirteen year old calmly remarked, "Must you call me by that insidious nickname?"

"Well, we agreed to call you that when we first met, remember, Ul~qui-kun," she sang.

"If I recall right, it was you who suggested it and I never agreed to anything," Ulquiorra reprehended as he stepped into the Inoue residence, slipping out of his shoes before following Orihime to her bedroom inconveniently located upstairs.

"But you respond to the name so that makes it your name," Orihime whined, mocking punching the smaller preteen in the shoulder.

Absently running a hand through his raven locks, he muttered, "Your sense is illogical," as he entered Orihime's bright, plush-stuffed bedroom. Immediately, he took to the bed while Orihime sat in her office chair, spinning childishly around in circles.

Though this visit was for studying purposes (and to finish summer homework), it would seem that Orihime failed to cooperate every time, resulting in mindless hours of chatting about random subjects like the festivities in Kyoto, which happened to be across Japan.

"Say, Ulqui-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" It sounded so simple but held such a complex concept that many were swayed to believe countless lies when it came to such a straightforward question.

For once, Ulquiorra was stunned, his breath catching in his throat as he shot up to a sitting position. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

Swiveling to face him, her face holding the utmost innocence and curiosity, she ignored his remark and continued, "Well, have you?" She tilted her head, eager to hear his response.

"No, of course not," Ulquiorra answered hastily.

Suddenly, Orihime snapped out of her chair and pounced on the startled boy, pinning him below her. He stared up at her, unable to conjure up any objections to her outrageous actions. And she stared down, her eyes unusually blazing with the unwavering determination she long possessed. Slowly, she lowered herself down, limbs ensnared with his as Ulquiorra literally felt his skin start on fire. When her lips rested on his in a chaste kiss, he felt his mouth go dry. Her lips were soft, plump, as he had thought, his head spinning wildly. It was just a feathery touch of the lips, nothing more but something snapped inside of him.

Smiling as she sat up, she said, "Now you have."

"Wha _ Why?" he croaked, finding himself confounded again as he tried to compose himself.

Putting a finger to her chin, she gazed up absentmindedly to the ceiling, "Well, Rangiku-chan told me that you're supposed to kiss the once you like and I like you, silly." Obviously, she was naïve, misinterpreting her older cousin's message.

Sighing, he massaged his sore temples. "You seemed to have misunderstood, Orihime. She meant that you're supposed to kiss someone you would like to be in an intimate relationship with."

"Huh?" She looked genuinely confused, perplexed in many aspects, cocking her head to one side.

"Someone you like romantically."

"Oh. Well, you are one of my best friends and I don't know if I like anyone as much as I like you." For some reason, this made Ulquiorra's heart race.

And then he realized…

…that he had fallen in love with Orihime Inoue…

**Friday, September 21, 2007 – 2:00pm – Karakura Center Junior High – Route to Ulquiorra's Home **

It was a bit odd when Orihime failed to show up to school that day; she was always rather keen on the concept of seeing her friends on a day-to-day basis. She would probably have shown up if she were suffering from a life-threatening disease. So spending lunch alone on the roof was a tedious task that the raven-haired male threw upon himself. While she had many friends, he had none…except her. Due to that, she would spend her lunch period with him, claiming that she could see her friends anytime she wanted since they were all in her class while he, who was a member of the elite A class, would be harder to find in the halls.

When the day was finally over, Ulquiorra couldn't help but be glad that it was. A sinking feeling haunted the pit of his stomach all day, like something was terribly wrong, but he couldn't do anything to stop that. He forced himself to dismiss it as a stomach virus or a bad meal from the previous day seeing as to how he almost vomited when he woke up that morning.

He arrived home early that day, having no reason to loiter around. His eyes widened a fraction when he saw a familiar head of orange standing like a statue at his doorstep, her back to him. It was at that moment when his mind registered that something indeed was up. She never came to his house because of his parents. He had told her long ago that it was a dangerous mistake.

"Orihime," he tried, cautiously placing a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, the girl swiveled around and threw herself on him literally, wrapping her arms around his thin body. And then, all he heard was sobbing, raucous cries and pleas as tears started to quickly drench his shirt.

"H -He's gone!" she cried, "Sora's gone! H-He promised m -me that he would never leave m-me!" Ulquiorra felt his heart drop when he learned that Orihime had just lost her brother, the only one regarded higher than Ulquiorra in her heart. Her parents had died when she was just an infant so she didn't remember them very much at all, her brother raising her in their stead. But now…

"Shh, Orihime, it'll be okay, everything will be fine," he reassured gently, pressing his body to hers in a tight embrace, trying to shield her from the hurt destroying her from the inside out.

"Promise me!" she howled, lifting her head to look at him, her eyes red and puffy from all the weeping she had done to mourn for her kin. "Don't leave me," she whispered for only him to hear, "promise me you'll never leave me, Ulquiorra."

"I won't," he vowed, "I will never leave your side." He tenderly pushed her head so she would rest comfortably against his chest, consumed in a tight embrace.

Shutting her eyes, she laughed, tears streaming down her face, "Thank you…thank you so much, Ulquiorra." And then, rain fell from the clouded sky overhanging them, dropping in heavy streaks onto the damp cement, showering the lamenting pair.

**Wednesday, March 5, 2008 – 4:30pm – Karakura Center Junior High **

Honestly, it was a rare occurrence when Ulquiorra was rendered speechless but he found himself in such a situation when he stood above his muted best friend whose hair splayed across the grass in a messy array of strands. Left untamed and uneven on her head, her once radiant tresses that hung loosely down her back was now short, forcibly chopped off, just below her chin. Orihime didn't cry, staring silently ahead at nothing in particular.

Dropping his bag, Ulquiorra sat beside her just below the willow tree located off campus. The culprits who did this were well gone, which was a good choice seeing as to how the scissors would have been plunged through their chests if the act had been done in Ulquiorra's presence.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her closer to him, placing her head on his shoulder. He wondered why it was always her that received such torture for ever existing. He cursed god for having her suffer like this.

Why was it _always _her?

They missed the remainder of their classes that day, sitting under the weeping willow for a few hours until Ulquiorra decided to finally take Orihime home, which was now conveniently located a great deal closer to his own ever since she moved in with her cousin, Rangiku, and her adopted family: the Hitsugaya clan.

No one was home at the time so Ulquiorra was the one who evened out her hair with a trusty pair of shears. It wasn't as good as it was before, still horrendous in Ulquiorra's opinion but it would due until her own hair would grow back.

He ended up spending the night, sleeping in a spare sleeping bag on the floor of eleven-yea-old Toushirou's bedroom, playing numerous games of what Rangiku liked to call "Strip Poker". Ulquiorra swore to never talk about what took place that night, even if Orihime returned to her former bubbly self because of his constant losing streak. Stripping down to his boxers was anything but fun, humiliating in every logical standpoint. Still, he secretly found pleasure when Orihime too lost…

**Wednesday, September 3, 2008 – 3:40pm – Hitsugaya Residence – Backyard**

"Happy fourteenth birthday, Inoue," Ichigo Kurosaki, a friend and longtime classmate of Orihime's smiled, handing her a medium-sized pink bag.

Smiling, a small vermillion blush forming on her cheeks, Orihime smiled, "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

"Hey, Ichigo, get your butt over here!" Tatsuki, anothergood friend of Orihime's, called from the side of the bustling backyard. "Come throw some water balloons. We're attacking Renji!" A petite Rukia, a nervous but cheery Hanatarou, and a brute Hisagi appeared alongside Tatsuki, all holding vibrant, water-filled balloons. Meanwhile, Renji, who was completely drenched, glared dangerously at Ichigo, making a slicing motion at his neck. In Renji language, that meant Ichigo was dead meat if he agreed.

"I'll be over there in minute," he called before reverting his attention back to a feverish Inoue. "Hey, give me your phone number," he said with a grin, "here's mine," he quickly added, handing her a small shred of paper from his pocket.

Flushing completely, Orihime managed to ask, "Do you have a pen?"

"Y-Yeah, here."

Ulquiorra watched as Orihime wrote her own phone number on a small shred Ichigo spared her, his fist clenched around an empty paper cup that quickly crumbled. His emerald eyes witnessed her gleeful wave as Ichigo rushed off to join Tatsuki and the others in ballooning his redheaded classmate, leaving a giddy Orihime to bounce over to where Ulquiorra sat, basking under the refreshing shade of an umbrella.

"Did you see that? Kurosaki-kun gave me his phone number!" she gushed, counting all seven digits written in messy print on the small paper. Grunting in distaste and pure disgust, Ulquiorra didn't bother to meet her eyes or acknowledge her. Something about the orange-haired troublemaker made Ulquiorra want to throw up in his mouth. How Orihime looked at him made him want to murder Kurosaki. He hoped it was just another faze.

"Ulqui-kun, are you mad at me?" Orihime inquired, peering at his dissatisfied expression. Turning his head stubbornly, he refused to meet her gaze. "Are you mad because Kurosaki-kun gave me his phone number?" At that comment, his head snapped to her instinctively, swallowing awkwardly when he noted that tears were brewing in her eyes.

"No," he seethed evenly.

"Because if you are," she started, ignoring his lie, "I…you're still my best friend and I…" She started sniveling, misery setting in on her happy parade.

Sighing, Ulquiorra finally gave. "I'm not mad," he said, sitting up. "I'm irritated because this weather is ungodly sweltering and this isn't normal September weather."

"The…weather…?" she reiterated blankly.

Nodding, he answered, "Yes, the weather." Another vivacious smile curled on her lush lips as she jumped onto Ulquiorra's bare chest, hugging him tightly. The raven-haired male paled before going red as the girl he was currently in love with made a pillow of his chest, clad in nothing more than a vibrant, fitting bikini. His skin proceeded to burn even more than it already was, her soft flesh meshed upon his.

"O-Orihime!"

"You make a good pillow, Ul~qi-kun," she chirped. Slapping a hand on his forehead, he grumbled incoherent mutters but never once tried to push her off.

They allowed the games to commence while they lounged under the shade of a beach umbrella, watching children alike jump into inflated pool, Renji being ballooned, and Rangiku torturing a pitiable Izuru.

**Thursday, December 25, 2008 – 8:45pm – Hitsugaya Residence – Living Room**

"This Christmas thing is blown way out of proportion," Rangiku mumbled from the floor, watching the celebration and festivities unfold in the Karakura Shopping District on T.V. Swinging her legs in midair, she narrowed her eyes further as yet another newly engaged couple were interviewed.

Looking up from the photo album she just received earlier that day, filled with memories of her, her old and new family, and of Ulquiorra… To them, the stoic teen was apart of their tight knit family, joining them in most of their activities. "I like Christmas though."

A freshly turned twelve-year-old Toushirou complained, "Christmas is too much hassle." As he said that, he turned another page of the novel his best friend, Momo, gave him. It was another gift she picked out according to his interest, taking the time to browse most of the library for the perfect book. Luckily, she succeeded.

"Oh, did your girlfriend give you that, Shiro-chan?" Rangiku taunted, using Momo's pet name, making the younger of the latter blush profusely. Everyone knew Toushirou liked Momo, who happened to be a full year older, but no one could be sure if she thought of him more than a friend. Most were convinced she had a fetish for her current history teacher, Aizen.

Slamming his book shut, Toushirou shouted impatiently, "She's not my girlfriend!"

With a sly grin, Rangiku muttered, "But you want her to be."

"I do NOT!"

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Well, you like that creepy bastard, Gin," Toushirou retorted, crossing his arms indignantly.

"So?"

"Ugh, you're impossible, Rangiku."

Chuckling nervously at her housemates, Orihime turned another page of what she titled "Her Book of Memories" that Ulquiorra compiled for her as her X-mas gift. She froze when she saw the photo of her and Ulquiorra, hand-in-hand as he led her home the first day they attended primary school, when she got lost. She secretly glanced at the emerald-eyed boy sitting on the couch, bored as always, resting his face of the back of his hand as he rested his eyes on the television.

Returning her attention to the photo album lying in front of her, her finger turned another page, a small smile playing on her lips when she saw the picture of them riding "Medusa" at the new Discovery Kingdom…well standing in line to do so anyway. She remembered feeling sick afterward, eventually throwing up in a nearby garbage can, a calm and composed Ulquiorra holding her up as she did so. The wobbly, dizzying feeling that had lingered in her body that day two years ago vaguely returned but she brushed it off, turning to the next page.

She felt her heart thump when she laid eyes on the next photo. It was of her, Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, Rukia, Hanatarou, and Ukitake, Toushirou's uncle, all crowded in the backyard when the grand heat wave of '06 struck the small community of Karakura. Rukia and Tatsuki played with the water hose, spraying one another while Hanatarou sat in the blowup pool, desperately trying to cool off. Orihime and Ulquiorra were on the cushioned bench swing, gladly shaded from the malevolent sun. Ukitake was in between the backyard and the small house interior, holding a phone conversation with someone Orihime couldn't recall. Rangiku was at a friend's house _ Nanao's? _ while Toushirou blatantly refused to come out from the air conditioned house, saying he'd die of heat stroke if he did so.

But what made Orihime's heart thump was the proximity between her and Ulquiorra. How she had pestered him, and eventually pushed him down, so his head would rest on her lap. Though that didn't seem like a big deal back then, Orihime's face went beet red when she thought about it.

_But why…? _

Quickly, she turned another page, saving her heart from bursting and her face from burning.

"Hey, Orihime, how's the album?" Rangiku asked, noticing her cousin's prolonged silence.

"Huh? Oh, I really like it," she smiled, trying to conceal her sweltering cheeks. She could feel _his _eyes resting on her but tried to dismiss the feeling, or at least ignore it.

"So," Rangiku started, making Orihime sweat nervously. Rangiku had a way with embarrassing people and her sentence starters of "so", "well", and "anyway" always pointed to such a situation. Gulping, Orihime decided to shut the photo album, giving her overworked mind a break. "Shouldn't you give Ulquiorra a thank you hug?"

"Uh, yeah, you're right!" Orihime squeaked, shooting to her feet. Bounding to the couch, she didn't notice Rangiku shift her foot in front of her ankle, sending the girl tumbling straight into a half-asleep Ulquiorra. His arms instinctively stretched around her to ease her fall, her face smashing into his chest. Limbs entangled, he found himself once again pinned under her. This time, though, when she sat up, he glanced up to see blood running down her face. Panic overwhelming him, he shot up, desperately trying to get a good look at her now bloody nose.

"Crap! Sorry, Orihime! I'll get some tissue or_!" Rangiku started, internally scolding herself for tripping her cousin.

"No, I'll take care of her. You've done enough," Ulquiorra interrupted, glaring down at Rangiku. Swallowing, Rangiku didn't say anything as Ulquiorra helped Orihime to the bathroom.

"Good job, Matsumoto," Toushirou scoffed, engulfed in the novel he already dug halfway into.

Sighing, Rangiku collapsed back onto her stomach. She _really _hated Christmas.

**Saturday, February 14, 2009 – 1:34pm – Karakura Center Junior High – Gates**

Ulquiorra walked out of the building, more than ready to go home, exhausted from yet another tiresome day in class. At least Saturdays were half days. He halted abruptly when he was met with the sight of Orihime and Ichigo standing by the gates. Then, Ichigo brought his hands to her shoulders, roughly pushing her into an embrace that only Ulquiorra would ever inflict on Orihime. He felt his heart crack when Ichigo wrapped his arms around her but when she didn't respond, hope sparked inside Ulquiorra's chest as he could only stand and watch. And then, her arms slowly but surely raised. Ulquiorra dropped his bag.

They released the other, smiles on both of their faces as Ichigo found that his feelings were quite requited by Orihime.

"I guess this means we're dating, Inoue," Ichigo said quietly, rubbing the back of his head nervously as a tint of red stained his cheeks.

Blushing just as much, Orihime fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, unable to look up. "And that we're…"

"A couple," Ichigo finished, feeling his confidence return to him.

Bashfully, she nodded, finally looking up. But she noticed that Ichigo seemed to be focusing elsewhere. "Um, Inoue, isn't that…" he started, pointing to someone or something behind them. Turning, Orihime felt her body freeze. Ulquiorra was standing right behind them, emerald orbs wide with shock.

"Ulqui_"

He brushed past her without a word, disappearing behind the gates. Her mind told her to run but her legs seemed to melt into jelly. Ichigo wasn't quite sure what was going on but Ulquiorra was the only thing he didn't like about Orihime. Ulquiorra never seemed to like him, giving him cold-hearted glares every time they passed one another in the hallway. It didn't help that the guy had no other friends but Orihime and most just referred to Ulquiorra as a loner or emo (stereotypically). Honestly, Ichigo sometimes wondered if Inoue, as kind as she was, just pitied him. The way Ulquiorra acted, it was impossible to smile at all.

Turning to his girlfriend, he was astonished to see tears dripping down her face as she collapsed to her knees.

"Inoue, hey, are you okay?" Ichigo asked, bending down. When he got no response, he firmly planted his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently. "Inoue, hey, say something. Inoue!"

Her senses were all hazy, blurred. All that ran through her mind was that she made the biggest mistake. She just lost what she perhaps cherished the most…

"Ulquiorra…"

**End 01: Hello**

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**And though this seems like it will be a short story (a two chapter thing or something) it won't be, seriously. If you know me, you know I'm a HUGE Ulqui/Hime fan but with school, a fall-out with some cruddy friends, and other things like this month project in history, my brain's been fried. But I found myself coming up with this plot while sitting in science class when I was supposed to be taking notes so rather than taking notes, I jotted down my ideas. I have like over 20 pages typed (I'm on chapter 3) and that happened mostly in a day!!! For my Summer Inn readers, it's still an active story but for the others, not really. **

**Anyway, this seems fast but I just don't like long, drawled out intros when its a lot more fun to get to the juicy part.**

**Oh, and since this does come up, Ulquiorra's birthday is June 25, making him a few months older than Orihime. If you can't tell, Ulquiorra is an abused child and yes, that will be important later on. Orihime's history follows pretty close to the Bleach storyline but she ends up living with her cousin (Matsumoto) with Toushirou's family. And Matsumoto IS adopted. Other than that, if you don't understand something, point it out and I'll clarify it to the best of my ability.**

**Review so I'll bother to post. I have another story still going too you know and I like to prioritize things and Summer Inn has over an 11 reviews per chapter average. And I love hearing your opinions and it makes me write faster:) 5 reviews sounds nice but 10 would be great, somewhere in there.**


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbye

**I know I'm a slow updater but with Youtube ruling my life at the moment (and my new Sony Vegas) I've been a little...how shall I say, preoccupied. Plus, for my middle school graduation present, I got a BlackBerry! I did like over 100 messages in a day so that was a distraction... I have (checks document) a few chapters of this done already (I'm on chapter 4-ish). But if I can get up to 16-20 reviews, I'll update if not, I will but it will be awhile...**

**Disclaimer: If I owned this anime (or any of its characters) I wouldn't be writing this now would I?**

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**Chapter 02: Goodbye**

::Orihime x Ulquiorra::

**Tuesday, February 24, 2009 – 7:09pm – Hitsugaya Residence – Orihime's Bedroom**

"Still hasn't talked to you, eh?" Rangiku stated more than asked, painting her last remaining toe a vibrant shade of red.

"No," Orihime sighed, pulling her bed sheets to her nose, glancing at her slumbering cell phone. Ulquiorra hadn't even called or texted her, thought he wasn't much of an avid phone user. He hadn't so much as glanced at her when he passed her in the hallways and when she went looking for him at lunch, he was nowhere to be found. Ichigo told her not to worry, that the guy was a coward for not being able to face her. That didn't make her feel any better.

"I've never seen you two really fight but seriously, I've never seen you this down before," Rangiku whistled from her own bed.

_We never have fought._ Suddenly, Orihime's ring tone ( "Fearless" by Falling Up) sounded. Immediately, Orihime dove for her phone.

"Hello…oh, hi, Kurosaki-kun…" Sighing, Rangiku lounged back on her pillow. "No, I'm fine." Another sigh. "He still hasn't talked to me, no, really, I'm okay... Oh, you have to go… Well, thanks for calling and checking up on me… Yeah…goodnight…" Hanging up the phone, Orihime sank back into her bed.

"Ichigo again?"

"Yeah."

"He's the problem you know."

"Why is Ulquiorra so mad thought…?"

_Because he is undoubtedly in love with you. _"Jealous that Ichigo's gonna steal you away maybe?" Rangiku teased. Orihime didn't chuckle, her frown still maiming her flowering features. Her own smile disappearing, Matsumoto solemnly suggested, "Maybe you should call him."

"He'll just hang up on me," Orihime sulked, covering her head with the sheets.

"It can't go on like this. Orihime, you're destroying yourself. Look, I'm sorry, but you're a mess. Just call him and try to sort things out."

"…Maybe tomorrow…"

Sighing, frustrated, Rangiku sternly refused to accept that answer, getting up to grab not Orihime's cell phone but her own. "No, call him NOW." She yanked the covers off of Orihime, shoving the phone in her grip. Placing her hands on her hips, a brow raised, Rangiku said, "Well, I'm waiting."

"Oh, fine," Orihime moaned. Dialing his number, she put the phone to her ear, her heart sinking as the first ring passed by, then the second, then the…

"Hello," a stone cold voice said. Orihime's heart soared. _He picked up!_

"Ulquiorra, please, why are you mad? I…I can't take this anymore, please…" Orihime blubbered, her legs curling close to her body, trying to stop the tears.

"…I have to go_"

Panic rose as Orihime bellowed, "No! Remember our promise! Y-You told me that you'd never leave me! You promised!" This was her only chance and all she could do was pray to god that he wouldn't hang up on her.

"…I'm sorry." The line went dead.

The phone fell from her numb fingers as she started sobbing, holding herself tightly, her entire body trembling. Rangiku enveloped her younger cousin in a warm embrace, stroking her trembling back as she mumbled, "It's gonna be alright," repeatedly until the words were etched onto her tongue.

"Everything will be fine."

**Wednesday, February 25, 2009 – 11:40 – Karakura Center Junior High – Willow Tree**

"Hey! That was my onigirl! Give it back Rukia!" Renji shouted as the petite girl engulfed the rice delight in a matter of moments. After swallowing, she pulled down the skin below her eye, sticking out her tongue immaturely.

"Make me," she challenged.

"Rukia!" he howled, grabbing her head, jerking her forward violently.

Sitting up, Rukia snapped, "Idiot! What was that for!?"

"For taking my onigirl."

Tatsuki and Hanatarou watched the two battle it out like children, somewhat embarrassed to even know these two at this point.

"Isn't this a bit extreme…?" Hanatarou asked fretfully.

"All of this for a piece of food," Tatsuki said, shaking her head in disappointment. She thought that primary school was good and gone now that they were in the eighth grade but her assumption appeared to be wrong. "Hey, Orihime, something wrong? You've been staring into space since we got here."

All eyes went to the orange-haired girl, some worried, others apprehensive. Snapping out of her reverie, Orihime chuckled, "Oh, I'm fine. It's nothing." No one looked convinced, especially Ichigo.

"Orihime, we know you're lying. It's about Ulquiorra, huh?" Tatsuki finally said.

"How did_?"

"I told them," Ichigo admitted sheepishly.

Rukia piped up, "We're going to find this guy and tie him down until he finally talks, okay Orihime?"

_Tie him…down…? Good going Rukia, now we sound like criminals._ Ichigo dropped his head, leaning back against the tree.

"It's alright, I can sort this out on my own," Orihime said, her eyes falling onto the green blades of grass.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Tatsuki asked, "Are you sure you can handle this on your own?"

Looking into her friend's eyes, Orihime nodded, a smile gracing her once gloomy features. "Leave it to me!"

Everyone chuckled at her antics, Ichigo bopping her lightly on the head, earning a small squeak from his girlfriend. Rukia resolved to going back to arguing with Renji while Hanatarou merely munched on his lunch. Tatsuki remained quiet for the rest of the period. For some reason, she feared the worst for Orihime. Sure, she didn't know Ulquiorra personally but he seemed distant, detached from the world. Those kind were hard to get-to-know…it was even harder to gain their trust back…

**Wednesday, February 25, 2009 – 8:00pm – Hitsugaya Residence – Orihime's Bedroom**

"We'll see you later, Orihime," Tatsuki said as she gathered her books littered across the floor. Rukia followed suit, stuffing her bag full of crumpled papers. Rukia and Tatsuki had met for their weekly homework club, electing to visit Orihime's home this time, even having dinner with the Hitsugaya family.

"Night," Rukia added as they departed out the door, leaving the two orange-haired girls to their thoughts.

After shuffling through some junk on the floor, tossing most into the trash can, Rangiku remarked, "You have weird friends."

Giggling, Orihime said, "But that's what I like about them," as she tossed a candy wrapper into the plastic mini garbage can.

"Yeah, I like them too," Rangiku agreed. The two settled on their beds, Rangiku flipping through a magazine while Orihime answered some of the texts Ichigo had sent her. She knew that they were trying to distract her but the pain wouldn't numb and reality, as cruel as it was, would never change.

"Are you gonna call him?"

"No."

Sitting up, shutting her fashion magazine, Rangiku moaned, "Orihime, this is your problem. You're not trying to patch things up."

"I am," Orihime insisted squarely.

"No. You're not. You're running away, not facing it head-on like the Orihime I know would. Snap out of it."

Before Orihime could respond, her cell rang again but, knowing how circumstances worked, it was probably Ichigo again and honestly, Orihime didn't feel like talking to him…or anyone for that matter. She just wanted to be left alone so she could think things through. Maybe this was why Ulquiorra didn't want friends…because they clouded your judgment…

"Aren't you going to answer that."

Wordlessly, Orihime picked up her phone just to see the caller ID since it the ringing persisted for so long. Did Ichigo want to talk to her that bad? Flipping the top open, she almost choked on her own breath. The number…it wasn't Ichigo's…it was…Ulquiorra's!

Snapping the phone open, Orihime said, "Hello…?"

At first, all she could hear was the labored breathing of the person on the other end. " I…I don't know how much blood I lost but I can't walk…" the deep voice coughed violently.

"Wha…Where are you? Ulquiorra, do you know where you are?" Orihime rushed, grabbing the attention of Matsumoto who came to eavesdrop on the conversation, concern hinted in her azure eyes.

"T-The park," the voice sputtered, "Central P-Park." _Where we first met._

"Hold on! Don't move! I'll be there right away!" With that, Orihime stuffed her phone in her pocket after shutting the lid, jumping off her bed. She met the apprehensive gaze of Rangiku and the alarm in Orihime's eyes was evidence enough that something was amidst that only Orihime could take care of. Nodding in realization, as it dawned on her who the caller was, Rangiku could only watch Orihime shoot out of the room, out of the house, and into the darkened streets of Karakura.

"Be careful, Orihime…"

**Wednesday, February 25, 2009 – 8:22pm – Central Park**

The cold air was brutal, demanding, numbing the fresh wounds mangled across Ulquiorra's lean frame, puncturing and tearing his ivory flesh. He couldn't help the nostalgia washing over him. This seemed so familiar yet so foreign to him. His onyx cell was hanging limply in his grip as he compacted his body into a tight ball, hoping that warmth would somehow grace his presence. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Blood seeped through his clothing, pooling below him. His vision had long blurred, eyes glassy with the horrendous pain that coursed through his entire body.

"Ulquiorra…" a soft voice gasped. An angelic figure bent down, terror in her quivering voice, her words and syllables blending together in incoherent cries and pleas. He felt her arms go around him as she desperately tried to lift him from the ground to no avail. Though there was probably only an inch difference, Orihime was far too weak to carry someone five pounds heavier than herself.

Focusing all of his strength into his legs, Ulquiorra aided Orihime as she got him to his feet. Together, they slowly progressed to her home, both exhausted and out of breath.

By the time Orihime got to the house, she collapsed at the doorstep, taking Ulquiorra with her. Rangiku rushed to her aid, taking the strength of both Rangiku and Toushirou to tow the severely wounded Ulquiorra into the house. Dashing for the First Aid kit, Rangiku quickly tended to Ulquiorra's wounds, leaving a slumbering Orihime on her bed.

**Thursday, February 26, 2009 – 7:45am – Hitsugaya Residence – Orihime's Bedroom**

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime Inoue shot up from her bed, panting as sweat rolled down her forehead. She vaguely realized that she wasn't in the dark depths of the park but rather in a blue schemed bedroom. She glanced around, trying to recollect her memories of what happened after she came home but they never came.

At about that time, she noticed the covered lump in Rangiku's bed shift a bit. Stepping out of her own bed, Orihime ambled over to Rangiku's, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Rangiku, wake up," Orihime whispered. Getting no reaction, Orihime's shaking persisted, becoming more and more violent.

"Um, Orihime, I'm right here, Orihime and stop shaking the poor lump. You'll give him another bruise, as if he needs anymore." The last part came out as a low mutter. Orihime spun around to see Rangiku, hands planted on her hips, standing at the doorway.

Speechless, all Orihime could come up with was, "Wha…then who is…?" Turning to the lump, she hesitated before tearing the blanket from the figure, gasping at her discovery. Ulquiorra, bandaged heavily, was fast asleep on her cousin's bed, bloody and bruised.

_So last night wasn't a dream!_

"You passed out when you got home," Toushirou explained, appearing from behind Matsumoto. "Mom bandaged him up to the best of her ability but as you know, she's not a doctor. We should take him to a hospital when he wakes up," he suggested ruefully.

A few moments of silence passed before Orihime smiled at last, a genuine smile of hope and happiness, one that went into hiding for the longest time. She raised a hand to fondly stroke his cool cheek, tracing over his thin eyelids, curving over the bridge of his nose, ghosting across the outline of his lips…engraving his peaceful expression into her memory, a rare but precious occurrence in time she wouldn't forget.

Suddenly, a pale hand covered the top of her own, grasping it weakly. Ulquiorra's eyes were half lidded but, without a doubt, open.

"Ulquiorra, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" Orihime inquired quickly. He shook his head, dropping his hand back onto the mattress. Orihime quickly pulled the covers back up, unable to bear staring at his damaged abdomen any longer. "I'm so happy you're alright," she sighed, plummeting her head onto the side of the bed.

He lifted the covers a bit, edging back a bit, allowing Orihime a spot on the bed if she desired it.

_Amazing, he forgave her so easily. Then again, she did save his life. _Matsumoto smiled with satisfaction, tugging a temperamental Toushirou out the door.

"What are you doing, Rangiku!?" he bellowed, freeing himself from her grip, straightening out his wrinkled attire.

"Isn't it obvious, giving them time to reconcile. Come on, let's go get some breakfast, I'm starving," she exaggerated, heading off to the kitchen, humming a gleeful tune. Groaning, Toushirou reluctantly followed. Oddly, breakfast sounded good at the moment.

-x-

Curled up into his side, Orihime couldn't help but smile as his scent, one that she was so familiar with, filled her mind with delight and overwhelming relief. He kept his back to her, hoping she wouldn't notice the heavy blush marring his ivory skin but under the bandages, it wasn't likely she'd notice. After all, he could dismiss it as another bruise…

"Your dad hurt you again…?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he replied languidly, his voice suggesting irrefutable exhaustion was finally setting in.

"If I hadn't made you angry, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Twisting himself around, grunting in mild pain, he faced the girl he had managed to avoid so long out of indignity…and jealousy. "Orihime, this isn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything_"

"It's because I made you mad!" she cried, clutching the front of his shirt tightly.

"I was jealous!" he snapped heatedly. "You didn't do anything wrong." Piercing emerald optics widened when the words escaped his lips, his body going rigid. Orihime stared in absolute shock. She never would have thought that Ulquiorra would become covetous so easily. No one would replace him, not even Ichigo.

"Ulquiorra-kun, no one can replace you," she told him softly, placing his hand between hers, sending his pulse skyrocketing. He knew she meant it but not in the way he had hoped for. She loved him as a friend, a brother even. He desired her as a lover.

He slipped his hand from her grip, shifting back onto his side, facing away from her. She would never love him and he could never _stop_ loving her.

"I don't understand," she whispered, "why do you keep your back to me?"

"You aren't at fault," he repeated mechanically, "I am just a fool."

Sitting up, she forced Ulquiorra onto his back, that same fire she always had boiling in her chest as she straddled him, keeping his face within view. "Ulquiorra, please, look at me," she pleaded when he averted his eyes to the right, "am I that revolting?" That made his eyes open. He sat up, pain scorching his back as he did so. Orihime didn't put up a fight, allowing him to rise up. She felt his eyes on her but this time, she couldn't look at him, deathly afraid she'd be met with a look of disgust.

Taking a strand of orange hair between his fingers, Ulquiorra fiddled with the strands, allowing Inoue time to collect herself. "Don't you…hate me?" she asked, baffled as he played with her hair.

"No."

"Then_"

Bringing his eyes to hers, he finally said, "Can we just pretend none of this happened?"

Her face literally lit up, the color reappearing back into her skin in seconds. Nodding enthusiastically, she chirped, "Yeah!"

He couldn't help but lift his lips just a fraction when he saw that smile he had craved for…desired for… Shutting his eyes, he had to admit that the outcome was pleasing. _Maybe in time_, he had thought, _she will feel the same…_

**Tuesday, June 25, 2002 – 3:32pm – Inoue Residence – Dining Room**

"Happy eighth birthday, Ulqui-kun!" An orange-haired girl dressed in a blue floral sundress pounced on her melancholic appearing friend, swinging them around until they both fell to the floor. Above them, Sora was laughing, holding a functioning video camera to capture the unique pair in action. Putting it down briefly on the table, he exchanged it temporarily for a camera.

"Say cheese," he grinned, taking a picture of the two sprawled on the floor. "I guess it's time for cake then," he said, reclaiming his neglected video recorder.

Jumping back to her feet, the hyperactive seven-year-old repeated, "Cake!?"

Nodding, Sora pointed to the table. "Come on you two, time to blow out the candles." Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and drug him to the table where the layered ice cream cake resided. For once, Ulquiorra blew out every candle on his first try and according to Sora, he had one wish.

Glancing at a bubbly Orihime, he wished: _I wish to be with Orihime forever. _

And then, it was time for presents and as usual, his only friend gave him something outlandish: some sort of unidentifiable game. He couldn't read the letters…or the directions for that matter. It was in English.

That was the only birthday party he had and it was one of the most memorable days of his life…even if the cake was undeniably bland. He still had the game, though he never really opened it. He planned on taking an English class in high school. Maybe then he could decipher what Orihime gave him. He doubted she even knew what it was really.

Sora had taken them to the theme park for the remainder of the day, supervising them as they rode all sorts of rides. Considering that they were too short for most, that wasn't many. Sora drove them home that evening, smiling as he stared into the mirror hanging above his head, reflecting the peaceful expressions of the slumbering children. He knew Ulquiorra would protect her.

He would be there even when he wasn't…

**End 02: Goodbye**

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**How was it...good? Bad? Terrible? Horrendous? **

**Little Ulquiorra, aw~ That would be a sight to see. Heck, I'd pay big bucks for that. Anyway, that was chapter 2 and like I said above, 16-20 reviews TOTAL (not for this chapter just altogether) would be fantastic. I'll still continue this story but it'll make me go faster and type rather than hang out with my friends at a concert or live and breathe on Youtube.**


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